Aaron Rodgers revealed he removed himself from the New York Jets’ humiliating defeat Sunday as his tenure with the franchise hit a staggering new low.
The quarterback failed to throw a single touchdown pass during the Jets’ 40-14 horror loss to the Buffalo Bills during Week 17.
After being shutout through three quarters at Highmark Stadium, Rodgers’ nightmare season hit a new low when he was replaced by backup Tyrod Taylor in the fourth quarter.
With the score 33-0 upon Rodgers’ exit from the game, Taylor went on to throw for two touchdowns to claw the Jets onto the scoreboard.
However, Rodgers revealed following the defeat that it wasn’t interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich’s call to bench the veteran.
Aaron Rodgers revealed that he benched himself during the New York Jets’ humiliating loss
The veteran was sacked four times, becoming the most sacked quarterback in NFL history
‘I mean it was 33-0, we were sitting there and I said, “At some point probably go to Tyrod [Taylor] here, huh?” Then the next play [the Bills] threw a screen for a touchdown. So it was 40-0,’ the 41-year-old told reporters Sunday.
Sunday’s divisional matchup marked an opportunity for Rodgers to reach a milestone in the NFL. Instead, the four-time MVP went down in the history books for an undesirable reason.
Entering the game on 499 career touchdown passes, Rodgers was hoping to reach the coveted 500-touchdown plateau.
But Rodgers was sacked four times and threw two interceptions, failing to throw a single touchdown during the massacre at Highmark.
The four sacks saw the former Super Bowl winner become the most sacked quarterback in NFL history with 568 times in 247 career games, according to Fox News. His total tallies three more than Tom Brady, who was sacked 565 times throughout his career.
Frank Tarkenton holds the unofficial record as he played before the NFL began officially counting the stat in 1982.
Rodgers will however have a second shot at the 500-touchdown milestone when the Jets finally put an end to their horror season on Sunday.
The Jets, who fell to 4-12 on the year at the weekend, will host the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium on January 5 as their campaign ends in playoff exile for a 14th consecutive season.
